I love peanut butter. A lot. Like, I used to put in on popcorn, a lot. Peanut butter was my favorite childhood treat and the only real source of protein I received in all four years of college.
So when my husband and I decided to get our act together and eat healthy, we turned to protein bars and it didn't take me long to find the glorious (and expensive) peanut butter protein bars in the refrigerated section of a Whole Foods.
Guys, these things are like $2.80 EACH.
Let me say it slower. Two dollars, eighty cents... EACH.
But they were sooo good. We were buying 14 bars every week for a painful to admit total of $39.20. Our grocery budget went from $125-150 to almost $200 a week to feed 2 people. That's insane.
It was time to put my food processor to the test, because these bars were addicting and $40 is way too much.
We went through a lot of iterations of these bars before we found the recipe that worked for us and produced a texture and flavor we both loved. I wanted comparable protein, no refined sugar, and most importantly, dark chocolate chips. Have I mentioned that I also put chocolate on my popcorn? I know. I have a problem. We'll address the peanut butter/dark chocolate problem at a later date when my husband inevitably sets up an intervention. Stay tuned.
What You Need:
2 cups Oats (or oat flour)
1/2 cup Peanut Butter Protein Powder (I use PB Fit)
1 cup Peanut Butter
1 tsp. Vanilla
1/4 - 1/2 cup Honey (optional, try maple syrup for a vegan alternative, replace with added Peanut Butter if omitting)
1 tbsp. Chocolate Hazelnut Spread (optional, replace with added Peanut Butter if omitting)
2 tbsp. Dark chocolate cocoa powder (optional)
Dark chocolate chips (optional)
Directions:
Blitz oats in food processor until they break down into a fine oat flour. Add protein powder and blend until fully mixed. (This is the time to add the dark chocolate cocoa powder if you're using it.)
Switch food processor to dough blade and add all wet ingredients--peanut butter, honey, and vanilla. (And Chocolate Hazelnut spread if you're using it.) Allow food processor to run until a ball is formed.
Spread the mixed out on a lined baking sheet. Press in chocolate chips before freezing for 30 minutes. Once firm, cut bars into desired sizes and shape.
Keeps in fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Tips:
If you are using oat flour, you can use a stand mixer or hand mixer to combine ingredients instead of a food processor.
When everything comes together, it should have the consistency of cookie dough.
Try using cookie cutters to create fun shapes for kiddos. (Or yourself. I'm not judging.)
I cut out 18 bars, each is about half the size of the store bought bars. My husband takes two in the morning for breakfast and I eat about one as a morning snack.
Calorically, the store bought bars are around 300 Kcal for a 64 gram bar. Our bars are 156 Kcal for a 32 gram bar.
Oh did I mention...
Because these bars are made with shelf stable ingredients, you can pack your peanut butter protein bars for the day without worrying about refrigeration. Score!
Cost Breakdown
The store bought peanut butter protein bars are $2.80 each. This recipe makes approximately 9 servings. (I cut half servings because I can never finish a whole bar. These are super filling.)
Let's parcel the cost out. I purchased the oats in bulk at my local grocery store. The PB Fit, Peanut Butter, Vanilla, Honey, and Chocolate Hazel are all from Costco. The cocoa powder and chocolate chips were purchased at Fresh Thyme (a small grocery chain, similar to Kroger).
oats 40¢
PB Fit 90¢
PB 80¢
Vanilla 31¢
Honey $1.06
Chocolate Hazelnut Spread 14¢
Cocoa Powder $1.08
Chocolate chips 25¢
Each batch of homemade peanut butter bars costs $4.94. That's $0.55 EACH. The store bought bars are 5 times as expensive. 5 times. I genuinely can't believe I even thought the BOGO 50% off sales on the store bought brand were a good deal.
Nutritional Breakdown
This nutrition label was calculated with the optional
1/4 cup honey, chocolate hazelnut spread,
dark cocoa powder, and dark chocolate chips.
Comments